The present invention relates to the field of breast and chest protectors for women and is more particularly directed to a method of producing a breast and chest area protector for women who play team sports or are otherwise involved in activities that involve a high degree of bodily movement and physical contact.
Increasing numbers of women are becoming involved in team sports and other physical activities. These activities subject women to risks of injuries. Some of these risks are unique to women. Frequently, women athletes are not adequately protected from direct impact to the breast or chest area. Such impact may result in serious bruising, or long-term medical problems. Different types of athletic activities have different levels of bodily movement and physical contact. Although the sports of soccer, basketball and even baseball are considered non-contact sports, there is still a high degree of dynamic contact, especially in basketball and soccer when multiple players are rushing to a single ball in play. Impact to the breast and chest area from a flying ball may also cause serious injury to a female athlete. This is particularly true in the games of softball and baseball where the ball is hard and travels at high speeds. In addition to injuries caused by physical contact, injuries may also arise from rigorous bodily movement even from non-contact activities such as aerobics.
A need exists for a breast and chest protector for women that will reduce the risk of injury from contact. The device must reduce movement of the breasts, since movement of the breasts while running increases the likelihood of injury to the breasts. Further the device must compress the breasts, since compressed breasts are more resistant to injury from impact or trauma. However, breast sizes vary greatly from woman to woman. Accordingly, the breast and chest protector must be made by a process that will provide for compression of breasts of various sizes.
It is therefore an objective of this invention to provide adequate protection to women athletes from significant impact to the breast and chest area. It is further an objective of this invention to provide a breast and chest protector for women that provides compression for individual breasts and which is sized to provide compression for various sizes of breasts.
The bra comprises a shield. The shield is inserted into a harness having pockets that receive the shield. The harness has adjustment means that allows the shield to be pulled against the breasts to compress the breasts. The shield is molded to a known cup size and formed to materially compress the breasts of that cup size.
FIG. 1 is the bra of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is the shield that is inserted in the harness.
FIG. 3 demonstrates the shield being inserted into the harness, with the harness shown as being turned inside out.
FIG. 4 is a sectioned view of a portion of the bra, with the shield in place, and the cups of the harness shown.